Rishikesh Tour Package

Rishikesh tour package
The very ancient township of Rishikesh is located in the Himalayan foothills and is a major holy spot of India. Our Rishikesh tour package takes you on a short, comfortable journey of about 200 km from Delhi. The city is vegetarian by law and an alcohol free city.

The mighty Ganges flows right through Rishikesh, which is the gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas. As Rishikesh is now an year round destination with pilgrimages, yoga and meditation camps, white water rafting, wild life safaris, trekking, climbing and skiing, our Rishikesh tour package offers all these options and more! Called the Mecca for peace seekers, Rishikesh also has many Yoga Centers, ashrams and also the best of spas and Ayurvedic treatment centers.

The Himalayan Garhwal region is called devbhoomi or 'abode of the gods' and is closely related with most ancient legends. Garhwal is famous for unique flora and fauna, snow peaked mountains, deep gorges, valleys, glaciers, lakes, cascading rivers, lush green meadows. Synonymous with yoga and meditation, Rishikesh is popular in the touristy circuit, with a range of luxury resorts, budget hotels, ashrams, lodges and home-stays.

Millions of pilgrims flock to Rishikesh on auspicious dates for holy dips in the sacred Ganges . It is also the starting point for the sacred Hindu Chardham pilgrimage to shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri..

Rishikesh is one of the world spots for white water river rafting. Adventure tour operators routinely organize safe, professionally organized multi day expeditions of rafting, Himalayan treks and camping on exclusives beaches. Rafting on the waters of mystical Ganges is a life time experience. Rishikesh is a also the starting point for trekking expeditions to Himalayan peaks.

The Auli region, one of the best ski slopes in Asia, is an 8 hr drive from here. The scenic drive along the Ganga takes you to the very ancient town of Devprayag and further along to Joshimath and Auli.

Rishikesh styles itself as the 'Yoga Capital of the World' but is also very New Age - you can practice humming or gong meditation, experience crystal healing and all styles of massage, learn chanting mantras, even learn to play the sitar or tabla on your hotel roof !

In case adventure is not your cup of tea, wander around this quaint little town of 60,000 people. Major attractions of our Rishikesh tour package :

1. Triveni Ghat : a bathing spot about one km from Rishikesh, built on the confluence of three legendary rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. It is considered most sacred and a very important spot for religious ceremonies.

2. Lakshman Jhoola : This famous 450 foot suspension bridge across the Ganga is 5 km from Rishikesh. The Lakshman Jhoola was constructed 1927-29 replacing an earlier rope bridge of 284 feet span which was washed away by floods in 1924. This legendary iron bridge is a major attraction among devotees and visitors alike.
The bridge gives a magnificent view of the Ganges. Visit the Radha Krishna Temple and Lakshman Temple here, the only one in India . Just opposite is a 11.3 meter high Shiva statue. The panoramic views of mountains covered in green, the waters flowing below, the cool breeze, all make Lakshman Jhula a great spot. You can feed the fish in the river below from the bridge or take a boat ride in the river below

3. Ram Jhula ; Another suspension bridge close by is the Ram Jhula which joins Shivanand Ashram and Swarg ashram. Adjacent to it are famous attractions like Geeta Bhavan, Parmarth Niketan and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Parmarth Niketan is a renowned temple complex and ashram known for its substantial work on Hinduism. Mahesh Yogi ashram was made famous by the 1970's Beatles visit and is situated nearby in a peaceful forest area.

4. Geeta Bhavan : one of the oldest temples in the area, is situated by the side of Lakshman Jhoola. A beautifully constructed building housing attractive statues and paintings of Hindu mythological of characters. The famous Indian epic Ramayana and Mahabharata are inscribed here on the walls.

The large complex has discourse halls and over 1000 rooms providing free of charge stay to devotees who stay here for holy Ganges dips, listen to discourses and do meditation. During summer day-long special Satsang programs are arranged and devotees flock in thousands to attend it. In the Ayurvedic department, medicines are prepared according to scriptures from Himalayan herbs using Ganges water. They are distributed by a free dispensary and are on sale too.

The ancient Banyan tree within the complex has been a site for penance of various saints like Swami Ramtirth and offers many quiet and peaceful spots for meditation.

5. Bharat Mandir : The 12th century Bharat Mandir is the oldest temple in Rishikesh, situated on an idyllic spot at the Ganges riverbanks. The main deity is Lord Vishnu whose idol is carved from a single piece of Saligram. A spectacular sacred Shree Yanthra is placed at the inner canopy of the temple. Recent excavations brought out many old statues, ancient pots and coins and other artifacts of historical importance from this site.

6. RishiKund : Rishikund is situated next to Triveni Ghat and is one of the most significant spots of Rishikesh. According to Hindu religion, this pond was saturated by Goddess Yamuna and it mirrors the temple of Ragunath, which is devoted to Lord Rama and his wife, Goddess Sita.

7. Hanuman Mandir : this 1924 temple draws huge number of devotees every Tuesday for Hanuman Aarti . Another important Hanuman Temple is at Sivanandnagar.

8. Someshwar Temple : located on Haridwar Road, it has been mentioned in ancient scriptures as standing amidst water as the sacred Ganga flowed here centuries ago.

9. Lakshman and Shatrughan Temples : are dedicated to two of Lord Rama's brothers. The present Laxman temple was raised in 1885 by Gulab Singh, The Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir.

Other famous temples are the Pushkar Temple, Venketshwara Temple, Raghunath Temple, Chandra Mauleshwaran Temple and the Trayambkeshwar Temple. The last is an imposing 13-storeyed structure with many smaller temples in each storey. Must visit is the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple located 5,500 ft above sea level.